1 00:00:09,06 --> 00:00:10,22 Yeah. 2 00:00:35,02 --> 00:00:36,25 Hello and welcome to 3 00:00:36,26 --> 00:00:42,02 a special edition of Sports rap I am your host Frank Walsh and as you can see I'm 4 00:00:42,03 --> 00:00:48,11 flying solo today because my usual co-host and friend Michael wick door has 5 00:00:48,12 --> 00:00:53,09 graciously allowed me to sit here by myself today because I have 6 00:00:53,10 --> 00:00:59,02 a very special guest and I believe you are going to find him and his story very 7 00:00:59,03 --> 00:01:02,83 interesting because a professional boxer started off at 8 00:01:02,84 --> 00:01:09,31 a young age and through the journey of his life became addicted to 9 00:01:09,38 --> 00:01:12,26 opiates and as we all know it is 10 00:01:12,27 --> 00:01:18,58 a terrible scourge that is infecting our cities and towns in our country 11 00:01:19,25 --> 00:01:25,86 and since then Mike had an amazing journey of addiction to 12 00:01:25,87 --> 00:01:32,18 recovery and he is here today to walk us through that story and hopefully you can 13 00:01:32,19 --> 00:01:37,81 learn from this and you can share this with someone who may have an affliction of 14 00:01:37,82 --> 00:01:44,41 this kind so it gives me great pleasure to introduce to you Mr Mike Morgan alley 15 00:01:45,28 --> 00:01:49,89 Mike. How are you my friend good good how are you I am well thank you so much for 16 00:01:49,90 --> 00:01:55,11 coming on here today thanks for having you know and you know you and I chatted off 17 00:01:55,12 --> 00:01:56,07 camera we met 18 00:01:56,08 --> 00:02:01,60 a week or so ago and I just found your story very very moving because as I said 19 00:02:01,61 --> 00:02:05,45 during the introduction opiate addiction drug addiction is really 20 00:02:05,46 --> 00:02:08,21 a scourge and it affects 21 00:02:08,22 --> 00:02:14,92 a lot of people and it is in lightning to have heard your story 22 00:02:15,32 --> 00:02:22,28 and hopefully you can share some of your stories about how you discovered this 23 00:02:22,29 --> 00:02:27,90 disease or it discovered you and then how you rebounded from it and how you can 24 00:02:27,91 --> 00:02:33,01 help other people going forward well yeah well that's just it you know I wanted to 25 00:02:33,34 --> 00:02:36,48 share my experience strength and hope you know because addiction is 26 00:02:36,49 --> 00:02:38,80 a tough thing to go through it's 27 00:02:38,81 --> 00:02:42,14 a tough thing for families to try and understand it's 28 00:02:42,15 --> 00:02:47,37 a very painful thing and. You know I'm basically here to say that you can have 29 00:02:47,38 --> 00:02:51,34 victory over it having accomplished the dreams and you can do anything you set your 30 00:02:51,35 --> 00:02:54,08 mind to it well it's kind of walk down that path 31 00:02:54,09 --> 00:02:55,68 a little bit I know you started boxing at 32 00:02:55,69 --> 00:02:58,28 a young age so I wanted to kind of tell your story 33 00:02:58,29 --> 00:03:03,10 a little bit about how you get into boxing and how you moved on and I'll just jump 34 00:03:03,11 --> 00:03:07,33 in where I need to really my brother and I we we started boxing like really young 35 00:03:07,34 --> 00:03:13,13 maybe five six and my father got us involved in the sport and I mean just took this 36 00:03:13,92 --> 00:03:19,65 cross the country you know fight in. You know amateur boxing and I know that's 37 00:03:20,15 --> 00:03:24,18 that's what we did when we were younger and I just kind of became normal to us and 38 00:03:24,45 --> 00:03:29,26 I've had probably one hundred amateur fights or so and you have some some 39 00:03:29,27 --> 00:03:33,26 accomplishments and some medals along the way as well yeah yeah I want to couple 40 00:03:33,27 --> 00:03:40,20 a national titles Invitational national titles and my brother had won four and 41 00:03:40,45 --> 00:03:46,06 we just we just motivated each other and we were tired of the sport and we were 42 00:03:46,07 --> 00:03:51,59 just kids growing up in the sport just just your average kids. And then along the 43 00:03:51,60 --> 00:03:53,98 way your life kind of took a little bit of 44 00:03:53,99 --> 00:03:59,48 a detour Yeah you know I mean you know growing up you just you go to the things 45 00:03:59,49 --> 00:04:05,71 that normal kids kind of go through you know and. As you know we started to 46 00:04:06,40 --> 00:04:06,94 you know get 47 00:04:06,95 --> 00:04:11,27 a little bit older we you know I tended to get you know rebellious and things like 48 00:04:11,28 --> 00:04:16,93 that you know. But but first you know I did I ended up having my my first 49 00:04:16,94 --> 00:04:20,99 professional fight eighteen I turned pro and I got 50 00:04:21,00 --> 00:04:23,90 a win you know my brother was seven and I was 51 00:04:23,91 --> 00:04:28,44 a pro and what had happened was you know I you know as 52 00:04:28,45 --> 00:04:34,10 a kid I just kind of dabbled here and they had just you know. Just here and there 53 00:04:34,11 --> 00:04:39,43 and. After the age of eighteen after I made my pro debut it would be style bold 54 00:04:39,44 --> 00:04:43,53 double what and dabbled with just you know just just small stuff made 55 00:04:43,54 --> 00:04:49,30 a little bit we call peers here and there stuff like that but it wasn't you know it 56 00:04:49,31 --> 00:04:54,38 wasn't anything that was too frequent were really mean and you know I just had my 57 00:04:54,39 --> 00:04:59,76 periods and then you know I made my pro debut I fought and after my pro debut it 58 00:04:59,77 --> 00:05:02,03 just it went from just kind of 59 00:05:02,04 --> 00:05:08,94 a casual thing here and there. And every day thing I mean oxy cotton. Hit the area 60 00:05:08,95 --> 00:05:12,23 that I grew up with like really really high and you are a local guy 61 00:05:12,68 --> 00:05:17,81 a local guy to Massachusetts Yeah you know I'm currently reside in Weymouth you 62 00:05:17,82 --> 00:05:20,59 know I went to Whitman Hanson I don't want to Holbrook I 63 00:05:20,60 --> 00:05:26,20 a little bit you know. Like I said Aussie cotton just kind of hit. 64 00:05:27,62 --> 00:05:31,78 They hit the streets hard and you know when I did it come to you would you go to 65 00:05:31,79 --> 00:05:37,72 with. A little bit of both I would say like in my teenage years you know as you 66 00:05:37,73 --> 00:05:42,08 know just kind of at that stage of kind of just rebellion and things like that in 67 00:05:42,41 --> 00:05:48,39 looking for comfort I guess in all the wrong places you know. I started to dabble 68 00:05:48,40 --> 00:05:51,67 in like I said which was a once in 69 00:05:51,68 --> 00:05:56,90 a great while typing turned into an everyday thing and morally I just started to 70 00:05:56,91 --> 00:06:01,13 deteriorate and my whole lifestyle started to change and that took you away from 71 00:06:01,14 --> 00:06:05,58 boxing you get out of boxing you couldn't do it you couldn't do the training boxing 72 00:06:05,59 --> 00:06:10,91 was just the last thing on my mind at that time you know that drug kind of just you 73 00:06:10,92 --> 00:06:16,10 know. I was so dominant in my life at that time where boxing school. 74 00:06:17,17 --> 00:06:19,79 Jobs I mean everything just kind it took 75 00:06:19,80 --> 00:06:22,99 a backseat and like I said I just was just was 76 00:06:22,100 --> 00:06:28,13 a downhill spiral from then you know and I understand that you had some family 77 00:06:28,14 --> 00:06:32,34 issues as well you know relative to drugs and even though your parents were very 78 00:06:32,35 --> 00:06:37,40 supportive and probably try to work through this with you. You know you are 79 00:06:37,41 --> 00:06:42,87 surrounded by by the disease if you would or the affliction Yeah I mean and you 80 00:06:42,88 --> 00:06:46,94 know. In my you know my my whole family 81 00:06:47,36 --> 00:06:52,21 a lot of us went through the you know had those struggles in which was hard because 82 00:06:52,34 --> 00:06:57,86 you know. I don't want to say that it's it's 83 00:06:57,87 --> 00:07:03,80 a normal way to grow up you know and not to say all the years were bad just. You 84 00:07:03,81 --> 00:07:10,74 know you know not to say all the years are bad but you know it really did take 85 00:07:10,75 --> 00:07:15,58 its toll on on us you know and things you know started to change definitely in the 86 00:07:15,59 --> 00:07:22,32 household and not only that you know with other relatives as well you know so now 87 00:07:22,33 --> 00:07:27,17 we know that you know drugs in those situations I mean they obviously consume you 88 00:07:27,79 --> 00:07:34,35 and obviously the drugs and everything cost money and you know from some 89 00:07:34,39 --> 00:07:41,32 experiences that I've had and information that I have it's you know. You go 90 00:07:41,33 --> 00:07:46,29 out after your friends quit after your family and you're basically lies steal cheat 91 00:07:46,30 --> 00:07:51,05 beg borrow to do anything to get that high did you experience that as well and I 92 00:07:51,06 --> 00:07:56,07 did I really wish that I could get into this stuff without having to really shed 93 00:07:56,08 --> 00:07:59,95 a negative light but this is just kind of what addiction does it's what it is you 94 00:07:59,96 --> 00:08:04,96 know I mean I became very manipulative stealing lying cheating right living 95 00:08:04,97 --> 00:08:09,09 a dishonest lifestyle Sellon doing things that I just shouldn't have been doing. 96 00:08:10,78 --> 00:08:11,84 That stuff it just weighed 97 00:08:11,85 --> 00:08:17,02 a heavy toll on me you know it's when you're under the influence I mean you're 98 00:08:17,03 --> 00:08:21,88 completely numb you know and it didn't affect me that I was under the influence but 99 00:08:22,39 --> 00:08:25,13 the accumulation of time accumulation 100 00:08:25,14 --> 00:08:30,09 a year is just the guilt and you know I just was so I mean it's all the while 101 00:08:30,10 --> 00:08:35,92 knowing you know. You just wake up some mornings and it's just overwhelming to my 102 00:08:35,93 --> 00:08:40,04 own guilt and some of the feelings I was going through and thinking about some of 103 00:08:40,05 --> 00:08:44,34 the things I did and how that just wasn't me and you know like I said manipulating 104 00:08:44,35 --> 00:08:48,09 family members and friends and you know I just really became 105 00:08:48,27 --> 00:08:52,57 a person who I wasn't and I was I felt like I was just kind of being held captive 106 00:08:53,09 --> 00:08:57,39 by the drug you know and you know along the way you know I'm sure that there were 107 00:08:57,40 --> 00:09:02,90 times where you know these feelings of guilt and you know probably you know 108 00:09:02,91 --> 00:09:08,01 hopelessness and probably poor self-image and all that did you try to reach out at 109 00:09:08,02 --> 00:09:13,21 times and did you try to beat it along the way and will have many successes and 110 00:09:13,22 --> 00:09:17,82 then failures you know my family we did grow up going to church and things like 111 00:09:17,83 --> 00:09:23,31 that and that was you know some of the really strong points you know and I had 112 00:09:23,32 --> 00:09:23,84 a we had 113 00:09:23,85 --> 00:09:30,63 a good foundation you know. We kind of stopped going I stopped going you know. 114 00:09:33,01 --> 00:09:37,32 And then I experience what I had to experience and stuff like that but you know I 115 00:09:37,33 --> 00:09:43,14 so I had points of you know I had roots of my Christianity that were planted but it 116 00:09:43,15 --> 00:09:47,29 just it never became real to me until I went through the shadows that I had to go 117 00:09:47,30 --> 00:09:51,91 through and that's when my faith really started to become real to me but yeah no I 118 00:09:51,95 --> 00:09:57,50 had points of just helplessness and hopelessness that I went through and you really 119 00:09:57,51 --> 00:10:02,60 have to reach that point you have to reach that point of just you know like I came 120 00:10:02,61 --> 00:10:02,74 to 121 00:10:02,75 --> 00:10:07,12 a point where in the morning I'd wake up and I you know was cook so consumed with guilt 122 00:10:07,51 --> 00:10:10,83 and I said to myself you know I'm not doing this I would throw out drug dealers 123 00:10:10,84 --> 00:10:12,44 phone numbers and put 124 00:10:12,45 --> 00:10:17,27 a couple days together of you know being clean and then I'd literally run outside 125 00:10:17,28 --> 00:10:21,76 and be rippin ripping trash bags open to get those numbers again or it just 126 00:10:21,97 --> 00:10:26,54 basically just kind of shows that you're just at war with yourself and that 127 00:10:26,55 --> 00:10:27,44 struggle with the in 128 00:10:27,45 --> 00:10:31,88 a minute I mean like I really didn't want to do it you know and then when I would 129 00:10:31,89 --> 00:10:35,35 get the drugs I remember there was times I was using intervene Asli and I would 130 00:10:35,36 --> 00:10:40,53 literally be crying after I did the drug because it wasn't doing its trick for me 131 00:10:40,54 --> 00:10:46,03 anymore or it wasn't given mean you know relief anymore you know it wasn't fun 132 00:10:46,04 --> 00:10:52,77 anymore it was dependency and the fact that I couldn't do it that I couldn't stop 133 00:10:53,13 --> 00:10:57,60 really really took its toll on me that I just wasn't calling the shots and I you 134 00:10:57,61 --> 00:11:00,28 know I don't want to see victim because we have choices but I was at 135 00:11:00,29 --> 00:11:06,16 a point in my drug use where I just couldn't say no and I had to be at that point. 136 00:11:07,02 --> 00:11:12,40 Any suicidal thoughts. Not really where I wanted to her myself but I didn't want to 137 00:11:12,41 --> 00:11:17,49 live you know it was like I was just every day waking up living to get the next one 138 00:11:17,90 --> 00:11:22,31 you know just to use and get high again and when I was high like I said I was numb 139 00:11:22,32 --> 00:11:27,30 but I was always left with those feelings the next day and that's 140 00:11:27,31 --> 00:11:33,15 a reality that you have to come to in. You know it's it's to be honest it's 141 00:11:33,16 --> 00:11:35,04 a good place to be and if I can elaborate 142 00:11:35,05 --> 00:11:38,12 a little bit on that short to sure you know I wanted to bring up 143 00:11:38,13 --> 00:11:42,77 a passage I believe it's at the. The end of second Corinthians where the apostle 144 00:11:42,78 --> 00:11:47,72 Paul was going through his afflictions and he said that he has sought the Lord 145 00:11:47,73 --> 00:11:53,84 three times that it would depart from him in the Lord said something that was very 146 00:11:53,85 --> 00:11:58,40 profound He said Paul My grace is sufficient for the for my strength is made 147 00:11:58,41 --> 00:12:04,78 perfect in weakness you know I had to be at that point of brokenness and weakness 148 00:12:05,34 --> 00:12:09,50 you know to even be willing to seek after God Again I mean let's I mean let's just 149 00:12:09,51 --> 00:12:14,57 face it you know that's something that you you know we don't normally desire you 150 00:12:14,58 --> 00:12:16,06 know I only like I said God was 151 00:12:16,07 --> 00:12:21,18 a last stop on the block for me you know I want to try to fix everything myself you 152 00:12:21,19 --> 00:12:25,87 know whether it was medication or trying to stay busy and things like that but I 153 00:12:25,88 --> 00:12:31,15 was in I was facing an opponent that was too big for me that I I couldn't be you 154 00:12:31,16 --> 00:12:36,03 know my own and I had to be beaten down to the point of weakness and just being in 155 00:12:36,04 --> 00:12:40,75 awe to disappear before I was willing to really reach out and that's when I really 156 00:12:40,76 --> 00:12:44,38 think that all the magic released out of the Happened to me but you know you shared 157 00:12:44,43 --> 00:12:49,48 a story to me when we were talking earlier and one of the powerful things that you 158 00:12:49,49 --> 00:12:51,63 said to me is that you know I was sharing 159 00:12:51,64 --> 00:12:55,22 a personal experience that I have someone you know in my life who's fighting opiate 160 00:12:55,23 --> 00:13:01,22 addiction yet and. When I was talking to you and telling you 161 00:13:01,26 --> 00:13:05,56 a little bit of that story you just kind of shook your head and said something to 162 00:13:05,57 --> 00:13:12,44 the effect of like. Now he's going to make it he's not going to make it and you 163 00:13:12,45 --> 00:13:17,76 said something to the effect that if you think that you can beat the sheer self 164 00:13:18,99 --> 00:13:24,64 it's going to be you. And then I'd also ask you about that is that when you get to 165 00:13:24,65 --> 00:13:28,47 that point you know everyone has to hit that bottom but I think you touched on that 166 00:13:28,48 --> 00:13:33,100 a little bit. And when you hit that bottom I mean there has to be 167 00:13:34,01 --> 00:13:39,46 a moment you know why why that moment why not an hour earlier why not 168 00:13:39,47 --> 00:13:45,08 a day earlier why not three days later when that moment hits you do you remember 169 00:13:45,09 --> 00:13:49,96 that moment when you eat the Woke up or you had that thought in your head and said 170 00:13:52,53 --> 00:13:57,29 I can't do this anymore for some people you know any mean it is you know 171 00:13:57,30 --> 00:14:01,70 a particular moment you know and I mean I think for me it was just failure after 172 00:14:01,71 --> 00:14:07,87 failure after failure. You know it's even not just with drug related you know every 173 00:14:08,48 --> 00:14:14,06 everybody reaches those moments in life where those you know you know you hit your 174 00:14:14,07 --> 00:14:15,96 rock bottom you know it could be from 175 00:14:15,97 --> 00:14:20,07 a feeling managed it could be from drug addiction it could be from gambling it 176 00:14:20,08 --> 00:14:25,80 could be from whatever device it is that kind of hold you captive you know. But 177 00:14:25,81 --> 00:14:29,91 like I said it's you know it's good for us to have those problems that are bigger 178 00:14:29,92 --> 00:14:36,02 than us you know that was like I said. To face an opponent that was just too strong 179 00:14:36,03 --> 00:14:40,01 for me was the reason that I was willing to look for outside help and I understood 180 00:14:40,02 --> 00:14:45,56 that what I was going through was was superhuman that it was spiritually rooted and 181 00:14:45,57 --> 00:14:49,27 that with human weapons I just couldn't prevail and that's when I really sought 182 00:14:49,28 --> 00:14:54,92 after the Lord's help and I begged for forgiveness and you what did you do when 183 00:14:54,93 --> 00:15:00,12 that moment hit you are now in all emotive hit you what did you do I hit my knees I 184 00:15:00,13 --> 00:15:06,72 gave up I surrendered and you know. Like I said you know sometimes we try to fight 185 00:15:06,73 --> 00:15:10,70 certain battles and win but they're going to be some battles in life that I just 186 00:15:10,71 --> 00:15:15,82 did too strong for us you know and I came to that realisation that I can't do this 187 00:15:15,83 --> 00:15:20,25 I'm not strong enough and I did I hit my knees and out of despair and I asked the 188 00:15:20,26 --> 00:15:24,71 Lord to come into my life in you know to cleanse me forgive me and is just give me 189 00:15:24,72 --> 00:15:26,16 a new life I just was 190 00:15:26,17 --> 00:15:32,39 a broken hurt and soul inside you know and then from there the road to recovery 191 00:15:32,40 --> 00:15:38,07 began how you went into clinic you sought medical help yeah. 192 00:15:39,70 --> 00:15:43,21 Yeah I checked in you know I ended up getting into a detox I did 193 00:15:43,22 --> 00:15:48,20 a halfway house for some time you know I was working the program and I mean I was 194 00:15:48,21 --> 00:15:49,48 just so full and such 195 00:15:49,49 --> 00:15:54,53 a fragile place too I was twenty one but I was so skinny it inside you know it was 196 00:15:54,99 --> 00:15:59,16 I mean I was OK when drugs were in my system but you take that stuff out of me I 197 00:15:59,17 --> 00:15:59,48 was like 198 00:15:59,49 --> 00:16:04,95 a skied kid inside I had no strong identity and you know I was just afraid and you 199 00:16:04,96 --> 00:16:07,70 know and but trying to uphold a person on 200 00:16:07,71 --> 00:16:11,23 a two would not let anybody else know that that's how I felt but that's how I felt 201 00:16:11,72 --> 00:16:17,45 you know when I did the program I did everything I needed to do I get caught some 202 00:16:17,46 --> 00:16:22,87 trouble off my back you know to do what I needed to do I did my means I did my 203 00:16:22,88 --> 00:16:29,51 commitments you know I attended church you know. And it just you know 204 00:16:29,52 --> 00:16:32,33 it's it's been a journey you didn't hear 205 00:16:32,34 --> 00:16:36,84 a powerful powerful statement to me when we were talking you know I had asked you. 206 00:16:38,27 --> 00:16:42,97 How was that struggle between the cravings and the urges and coming off the 207 00:16:42,98 --> 00:16:47,30 addiction and how there was that struggle between the body and the heart in the 208 00:16:47,31 --> 00:16:53,68 mind and you are you in capsulated it is probably crystal clear that 209 00:16:53,88 --> 00:16:58,14 move when you talk to both the three units of the four units and all that is that 210 00:16:58,15 --> 00:17:02,69 you operate on yeah that was one of the clearest things and the most concise things 211 00:17:02,70 --> 00:17:06,61 I ever heard can you go because I really I just wanted to you know with my you know 212 00:17:06,62 --> 00:17:11,04 Christian background and stuff like that you know we wanted to kind of just put 213 00:17:11,05 --> 00:17:15,09 a spin on it and understand that means a three part being you know and it's 214 00:17:15,10 --> 00:17:21,96 a body soul and spirit and how God is the Father the Son in the Holy Grail and even 215 00:17:21,97 --> 00:17:27,03 though we have three we all one unit you know and so you can't just really focus on 216 00:17:27,21 --> 00:17:31,37 the physical you can't just focus on the body without work in the spirit you know 217 00:17:31,38 --> 00:17:35,10 or without working you know the things of your soul that NATO needed that need to 218 00:17:35,11 --> 00:17:40,93 be cleaned up and cleansed so you know to be you know so it's important that you 219 00:17:40,94 --> 00:17:45,00 work on all three you know I think that sometimes people get so hung up on the 220 00:17:45,01 --> 00:17:50,25 physical you know going in the gym or whatever it is you know that they take less 221 00:17:50,26 --> 00:17:54,38 focus off the spiritual and things like that and you need to continue to grow as 222 00:17:54,39 --> 00:18:01,20 a three fold being and how long did it take you to discover that or was that 223 00:18:01,21 --> 00:18:04,65 something through that appears to me that you went through that just kind 224 00:18:04,97 --> 00:18:11,09 manifested on you or you know how did you arrive at that triumvirate of you know 225 00:18:11,91 --> 00:18:17,59 things I had the heart the mind the body the soul and spirit will spirit what the 226 00:18:17,60 --> 00:18:22,01 intellectual knowledge I would say just from you know Bible study in getting to 227 00:18:22,02 --> 00:18:28,24 know you know earlier on in sobriety and stuff like that I focused on me and 228 00:18:28,25 --> 00:18:32,81 getting to know who I was inside and all my character defects and the things that 229 00:18:32,82 --> 00:18:37,56 made me slip and made things that made me fall but once I started to really grow I 230 00:18:37,57 --> 00:18:43,27 want to. To get to know who God was and all his personages and you know so I would 231 00:18:43,28 --> 00:18:48,54 believe that intellectual knowledge of that came from spiritual growth and 232 00:18:48,55 --> 00:18:52,58 intellectual growth you know when when the drugs and all that stuff was out of my 233 00:18:52,59 --> 00:18:57,66 body so I was able to kind of grow now as you were going through this because 234 00:18:57,67 --> 00:19:04,65 obviously before hand when you hit that bottom I mean you would probably lost your 235 00:19:04,66 --> 00:19:10,56 family you know you know all the things that were probably enabling you weren't 236 00:19:10,57 --> 00:19:15,17 there anymore and people separated themselves and distanced themselves for you 237 00:19:15,56 --> 00:19:21,18 along the journey and along that road to recovery how easy or difficult was it for 238 00:19:21,19 --> 00:19:26,10 you to reconnect with the friends that you may have heard of the family members 239 00:19:26,11 --> 00:19:30,43 that may have shunned you and how easy or difficult to balance and Alex I'll 240 00:19:30,44 --> 00:19:35,84 explain it to you. The distance was good at first you know in the distance is good 241 00:19:35,89 --> 00:19:39,68 you know and sometimes we don't want to really be accountable but the distance is 242 00:19:39,69 --> 00:19:44,32 good but it actually helped me to grow out of my box and meet 243 00:19:44,46 --> 00:19:46,20 a whole new variety of people and 244 00:19:46,21 --> 00:19:52,07 a whole new network of people and once I was able to do that and work on myself and 245 00:19:52,08 --> 00:19:56,50 get to where I needed to be people could see that change and once they saw that 246 00:19:56,51 --> 00:19:59,33 changed then they wanted to be more of 247 00:19:59,34 --> 00:20:05,44 a pot of who you are then you know I'm sometimes people don't want to hear language 248 00:20:05,45 --> 00:20:09,39 they they want to see the proof the proof is in the putting And as I would be got 249 00:20:09,40 --> 00:20:14,67 you know began to change and things like that you know friends and family obviously 250 00:20:14,68 --> 00:20:19,59 you want to be around somebody who you know who's got that Spock again and who is 251 00:20:19,60 --> 00:20:25,67 the person you know deep down inside you know so once I started to work on my 252 00:20:25,68 --> 00:20:31,98 network and work on my personal growth I was able to. I have the friends and family 253 00:20:31,99 --> 00:20:36,97 back in my wife and I wasn't toxic to them at that point so as you started 254 00:20:36,98 --> 00:20:40,06 rebuilding your life and obviously that meant you knew you had to start building 255 00:20:40,07 --> 00:20:41,11 a career and getting 256 00:20:41,12 --> 00:20:45,60 a job in putting all of those broken pieces back together and getting your life 257 00:20:45,61 --> 00:20:52,50 back together along their early in even to today. How do you deal with temptation 258 00:20:52,69 --> 00:20:59,46 or do you have temptation. Every man as temptation in any way shape or form I'd be 259 00:20:59,47 --> 00:21:05,00 lying if I said I was completely eradicated from there will never be at least not 260 00:21:05,01 --> 00:21:11,73 here on this earth but you know like I said to you you know it's the things that 261 00:21:11,74 --> 00:21:17,09 keep me going is that I've come and seen how much grace God's given me you know I'm 262 00:21:17,11 --> 00:21:18,38 happily married now I got 263 00:21:18,39 --> 00:21:23,77 a great job and you know seeing the man that I've been able to become because of 264 00:21:23,79 --> 00:21:29,43 God's help and you know my wife and some of the great blessings that I have I mean 265 00:21:29,86 --> 00:21:33,77 I just don't think I could ever go back to something like that I what it is I keep 266 00:21:33,79 --> 00:21:39,11 a how to gratitude by looking at. All the things that I have opposed to the things 267 00:21:39,12 --> 00:21:42,74 that I don't have right I was going to say the members again the way you said it 268 00:21:42,75 --> 00:21:48,53 was so powerful is that when you have that temptation that little switch goes off 269 00:21:48,54 --> 00:21:53,69 in your head and say this is where I am this is where I was and I don't want to be 270 00:21:53,70 --> 00:21:57,72 where I was and it's not it's not just an intellectual understand this very strange 271 00:21:57,73 --> 00:22:03,07 part but you know I do pray you know I mean when I'm gone do you know good times 272 00:22:03,08 --> 00:22:08,40 bad times you know I pray ask for help ask for strength you know like I said I mean 273 00:22:08,41 --> 00:22:08,98 life's just 274 00:22:08,99 --> 00:22:13,92 a tough journey whether drugs is your issue whether any kind of game when a man or 275 00:22:13,93 --> 00:22:18,75 a job whatever it is I mean you know to have gotten involved in your life and to 276 00:22:18,76 --> 00:22:24,30 gain strength from him and to have his blessing in to have his hands upon you you 277 00:22:24,31 --> 00:22:27,12 know he can give you joy he can allow 278 00:22:27,34 --> 00:22:32,08 a love to keep burning in your half your wife he can do those things and you know 279 00:22:32,09 --> 00:22:32,55 having him 280 00:22:32,56 --> 00:22:37,31 a part of my life is the only thing that's kept me you know I don't do anything 281 00:22:37,32 --> 00:22:43,50 special that anybody else hasn't done you know I just you know. I hit my knees I 282 00:22:43,51 --> 00:22:47,29 ask God for help I you know I continue to do things like this and try and help 283 00:22:47,30 --> 00:22:50,15 somebody who's sick and suffer and you know and that's just 284 00:22:50,16 --> 00:22:56,05 a pot part of my life you know let's talk about the six getting back into the ring 285 00:22:56,26 --> 00:22:59,38 you know you get into the back of the ring and then you know along the way you had 286 00:22:59,39 --> 00:23:04,25 a couple of. Couple of heart breaks along the way you know going back 287 00:23:04,26 --> 00:23:07,97 a couple years ago last year and you know you started to get back into the ring and 288 00:23:07,98 --> 00:23:11,65 you wanted to get back and start to build your fighting career talk 289 00:23:11,66 --> 00:23:16,85 a little bit about that little. I was up here that you had i will all be straight 290 00:23:16,86 --> 00:23:21,89 up two thousand and sixteen was the toughest year my life you know I had 291 00:23:21,90 --> 00:23:27,63 a close friend of mine had died from from drugs. And then 292 00:23:27,64 --> 00:23:33,95 a few weeks later I have my nephew died. It just was like two blows I mean you 293 00:23:34,49 --> 00:23:40,08 never the same after something like that you know. I had slipped into 294 00:23:40,09 --> 00:23:45,86 a deep depression you know. I wanted to cash in my chips I wanted to give up you 295 00:23:45,87 --> 00:23:50,72 know it's easy for people to say stay strong and trust God when they're not in 296 00:23:50,73 --> 00:23:55,38 a situation like that and. You know it was it was definitely 297 00:23:55,39 --> 00:24:02,38 a valley you know. That I had gone through you know. Probably one of 298 00:24:02,39 --> 00:24:05,59 the toughest things one of the toughest things I've been through but I was faced 299 00:24:05,60 --> 00:24:09,78 with that decision are you going to roll over and die you know or do you want to 300 00:24:09,79 --> 00:24:15,50 get up and fighting and. I don't I just get too much to live for you know there's 301 00:24:15,51 --> 00:24:18,69 going to be struggles there's going to be deaths not to say that I'll never be the 302 00:24:18,70 --> 00:24:19,38 same again 303 00:24:19,66 --> 00:24:27,09 a huge piece of me is missing but I found some ways to to vindicate. Myself 304 00:24:27,10 --> 00:24:33,05 and to you know to help contribute to what happened you know and to have 305 00:24:33,41 --> 00:24:39,57 a small bit of closure you know August twenty second. Able to any second 306 00:24:40,15 --> 00:24:45,06 forgive me I believe is my next fight and still finalizing things at the promoter 307 00:24:45,07 --> 00:24:46,29 but it's 308 00:24:46,30 --> 00:24:50,72 a very special fight for me because I'm dedicating that fight to my nephew and to 309 00:24:50,73 --> 00:24:52,48 my friend into 310 00:24:52,78 --> 00:24:57,14 a couple of DIA friends of mine that I've lost along the way you know. 311 00:24:59,49 --> 00:25:06,04 These are the trunks that I had gotten made. Here my nephews initials 312 00:25:06,98 --> 00:25:13,70 Mel for you. Rich myth. Chris Kerrigan. Matt 313 00:25:14,31 --> 00:25:20,39 Nick Eakins in the fight will be dedicated to them in the cause of addiction and 314 00:25:20,40 --> 00:25:25,54 we're going to kind of just focus on the recovery aspect of it. But it was 315 00:25:25,55 --> 00:25:27,03 a very special thing and is 316 00:25:27,04 --> 00:25:32,13 a very special thing that I that I wanted to do because it's so personal to me then 317 00:25:32,14 --> 00:25:37,56 I might just basically I'm in it to say that you know addiction is 318 00:25:37,60 --> 00:25:43,50 a very very difficult in to go through for friends family personally it's 319 00:25:43,51 --> 00:25:48,50 a horrible thing and it's very troublesome at times and it's very hard to keep hope 320 00:25:48,77 --> 00:25:54,19 in to keep the faith in times like this I mean it's everybody is affected by it and 321 00:25:54,53 --> 00:25:55,70 it's come on it's like 322 00:25:55,71 --> 00:25:59,15 a tornado coming through your life you're going to take everything from you and rip 323 00:25:59,16 --> 00:26:04,84 your heart out and and but I just I want to let people know that there is hope 324 00:26:05,10 --> 00:26:06,17 there you can have 325 00:26:06,18 --> 00:26:10,94 a victory over this I can't victory through Jesus Christ you can have victory over 326 00:26:10,95 --> 00:26:14,84 your addiction and you can accomplish anything that you want to life you know for 327 00:26:14,85 --> 00:26:18,51 me being able to come back and fight after ten years was 328 00:26:18,52 --> 00:26:25,44 a huge thing for me you know twenty nine now I'm twenty nine now. So you know 329 00:26:26,24 --> 00:26:30,59 you can have victory over this thing in. You know you can accomplish anything you 330 00:26:30,60 --> 00:26:34,83 set your mind to you just got to work on the best advice that I could give the stop 331 00:26:34,84 --> 00:26:41,11 trying to do everything on your own it's OK that it's OK to be weak it's OK to 332 00:26:41,26 --> 00:26:42,31 understand that you're 333 00:26:42,32 --> 00:26:46,31 a human being and you're going to make mistakes and I would say to do what I did 334 00:26:46,32 --> 00:26:52,48 and he needs and ask God to help you to help you through your struggles and to. To 335 00:26:52,49 --> 00:26:57,99 help you in life because you're really we really need and I know why do. You 336 00:26:57,100 --> 00:27:02,50 probably have some personal shout outs that you may want to personally thank anyone 337 00:27:02,51 --> 00:27:06,69 or and your church or any particular people who you might want to give 338 00:27:06,70 --> 00:27:11,95 a shout to out to. Specifically you know in general it's a tough it's 339 00:27:11,96 --> 00:27:16,58 a tough thing because to mention one person and not mention so many others you know 340 00:27:16,59 --> 00:27:19,99 I'm going to kind of keep it at Dal because of respect that you know I had this so 341 00:27:20,00 --> 00:27:24,09 many people that have you know song good seeds along the way that's kind of helped 342 00:27:24,10 --> 00:27:30,61 me to grow you know influential people family members. At different times in 343 00:27:30,62 --> 00:27:35,03 different periods of my growth and journey so to kind of now that down to one 344 00:27:35,04 --> 00:27:41,13 person it would just be kind of it. Whilst Now if people wanted to 345 00:27:41,83 --> 00:27:42,13 learn 346 00:27:42,14 --> 00:27:47,92 a little bit more about you. You're on Facebook you can find you on Facebook they 347 00:27:47,93 --> 00:27:54,55 can Google you and yeah they can follow you yeah yeah and like I said you can find 348 00:27:54,56 --> 00:28:00,62 me on Facebook or come oh come out to support me August twenty second 349 00:28:01,28 --> 00:28:07,30 April twenty second come out to support me and to support recovery to support this 350 00:28:07,31 --> 00:28:12,16 because it's not just a fight it's. It's it's 351 00:28:12,17 --> 00:28:16,43 a movement to support these things you know and to let to let people they know that 352 00:28:16,44 --> 00:28:22,42 we do Aqaba and that you can have victory so very very honored to be very grateful 353 00:28:22,43 --> 00:28:27,79 to do this you know Well Mike you know the the honor is mine and 354 00:28:29,36 --> 00:28:35,73 this touches be pushed and I thank you for it could be good. No problem and 355 00:28:35,88 --> 00:28:41,15 Roxanne Morris who pushed all the buttons and made us look pretty and folks you're 356 00:28:41,16 --> 00:28:41,64 looking at 357 00:28:41,65 --> 00:28:46,45 a human success story and if you have the opportunity to meet this gentleman follow 358 00:28:46,45 --> 00:28:52,74 him on Facebook you will learn something from him so for Roxanne Morse 359 00:28:53,12 --> 00:28:59,18 and Michael wick door Mike Morgan Elliott I am Frank Walsh we'll see you down the 360 00:28:59,19 --> 00:28:59,47 road.